Braves’ Sean Newcomb falls 1 out short of no-no No. 300 vs. Dodgers

The Atlanta Braves’ Sean Newcomb fell one out short of throwing the 300th no-hitter in major-league baseball history on Sunday.

Newcomb struck out eight and walked one over 8 2/3 innings until Chris Taylor singled to left with two out in the ninth inning. After Dan Winkler took over, Taylor took second on defensive indifference and Manny Machado drove him in with a single to left as the Braves topped the Dodgers 4-1.

The last no-hitter thrown by a Braves pitcher was 24 years, 3 months, 21 days ago, and it was against the Dodgers. On Friday, April 8, 1994, at Dodger Stadium, Kent Mercker tossed a no-no for a 6-0 win. Newcomb wasn’t even one year old at the time.

The Dodgers were last no-hit 2 years, 10 months, 30 days ago, when the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta no-hit L.A. at Dodger Stadium for a 2-0 win.

Newcomb was striving to become the fourth pitcher to toss a no-no wearing No. 15. he would have joined the Chicago White Sox’s Bob Keegan (1957), the Baltimore Orioles’ Hoyt Wilhelm (1958) and the Minnesota Twins Jack Kralick (1962).

Author: Dirk Lammers

Dirk Lammers is a veteran journalist who began rooting for the New York Mets in the early-1970s when the team’s no no-hitter count was barely 2,000 games old. Lammers has since turned his research into Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders: More Than a Century of Pitching’s Greatest Feats (Unbridled Books).

“This volume is the complete – and I mean fully complete – story of the no-hit games in the long history of Major league Baseball, and it will serve as the place to look if one wonders why baseball makes such a big deal of no-hit games. With prodigious research, Lammers has produced not just the bare bones of each no-hit game but adds to each game story the little and telling details that are so alluring.”

Fay VincentFormer MLB commissioner, foreword writer

“It’s fantastic. My kinda baseball book. Just the right combo of pure stats, information, obscure history and incisive commentary. I know I’ll be going back to it often for reference (and, hey, maybe a song or 2!).”

Steve WynnMusician, The Baseball Project, The Dream Syndicate

“In “Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders,” Lammers takes a topic that might seem narrowly focused and opens it up with all sorts of interesting angles.”

Ross AtkinsChristian Science Monitor

“… a fascinating book that will appeal to both the historian and the die-hard fan.”

Jeff AyersThe Associated Press

“Never have so many no-nos inspired such resounding yes-yeses! A baseball research book with a sense of humor—novel concept.”

“I loved reading about all of the no-hitters. There are a lot of things that I had no idea about, like “Hooks” Wiltse also losing his perfect game in the ninth inning but saving his no-hitter. Even if you do not know anything about baseball, this is a great book about the great history of the game.”

Milt PappasMLB pitcher 1957-1973 ('72 no-no)

“Like the book’s subject, Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders is full of intrigue, suspense and just enough random good fortune to go down in history. In revisiting the unforgettable and revealing the forgotten, Dirk Lammers deals a quirky treasure for baseball lovers.”

Jon SpringerAuthor of Mets by the Numbers

“… delightfully written … story after fascinating story about the most compelling characters and unlikely events.”

Matt SutherlandForeword Reviews ★★★★★

“… an exuberant romp through the history of one of baseball’s most impressive achievements.”

Paul HagenMLB.com

“I do think you have a winning idea. This is a book that should sell. Bo Belinsky was my favorite, followed by Don Larsen, and the only one I saw in person, Bob Forsch.”

W.P. KinsellaAuthor of Shoeless Joe, adapted into "Field of Dreams"

“As an official scorer, I’m aware of the tension and drama when a pitcher takes a no-hitter into the later innings. In Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders, Dirk Lammers has captured this drama and added to it with insights and analysis for those who achieved this honor. Mixed in with fun facts about more than 100 years of no-hitters, Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders is entertaining and enlightening.”

Stew ThornleyMLB Official Scorer for Minnesota Twins games

Most recent no-nos

There have been 299 no-hitters in MLB history, with the last thrown 8 months,13 days ago.